[Toshi]

i've only lived in nyc, boston and seattle,well, tacoma , with a summer spent in santa clara for variety, and the pacnw gets my vote for sure. greenery, good trails, no ugly suburbs a la massachussetts, no giant city madness as in manhattan.

 

[narlus]

ugly suburbs in MA? i live in one! :

i agree w/ Jm, new mexico (santa fe preferably over albuquerque) or the sw corner near durango would be cool. tons of great terrain round those parts, but not sure what you could actually do for employment. plus that region's not exactly on most bands' touring schedule.

portland is a totally great city, but it's a bit of a drive to get out towards bend. i only did xc rides the couple times i was out there, so i'm not sure what DH potential is there (do mt hood and bachelor run lifts in teh summer?) i've also never been there in the non-summer months (and having lived in dublin for a year now, i can say that it can get depressing not seeing the sun on a regular basis).

is the CO DH scene good? all i've heard about was closure of good trails at places like Vail (and maybe keystone too?). or is the good stuff local-knowledge/hush hush? that said, i think denver's a pretty cool town.

reno had by far the most pawn shops of any place i've ever been to. totally depressing place, imo.

brian, SF/Bay area definitely has the social amenities i'd look for, but are there really any DH spots an hour away??? northstar is ~3 w/ no traffic, what else is there?

 

[narlus]

marry someone rich?

 

[Curb Hucker]

Originally posted by narlus
marry someone rich?

He should marry J-Lo, he could get her drunk at a bar, tell her hes a singer, and poof, 4 days later, theyre married, and Luc's rich

 

[math2014]

Originally posted by Jm_
you're not really making money when you are making $100,000 a year and the minimum house price is like $500,000, in adition to other costs.

Well i wouldnt move there for less than 200k p.a. net.

 

[jackalope]

Gotta give some props to the Asheville / Boone / Roanoke areas...Or basically the Tenn. / NC / VA borders in the Appalachians...As Profro said on Page 1, there's not too many chair lifts, but there are some and I believe more of the ski resorts are starting to see the light when it comes to warm weather activities. Needless to say, there are miles and miles of incredible XC singletrack to boot. Great paddling as well as decent (not great mind you) snowboarding / skiing...Beautiful hiking trails and overall scenery. Asheville and Boone have OK night life's with the presence of local colleges. And the weather is sublime 75% of the year (but like most east coast mountain locales, they do get their fair share of spring / summer rains - but not as bad as WV in my humble opinion). And best of all, if you go far enough back in the woods, there's some damn fine banjo pickers

Not real familiar with Mass, but it sounds like they have some bad a$$ trails up there and you're not too far away from Vermont DH courses...Get's pretty damn cold in the winter though, but that's what the plethora of Boston pubs are for...

As any self respecting NYC rapper would say: "Easse Coass"

 

[James]

Every time I go visit my dad in Victoria BC, I fall more and more in love with the place. Either that or the Vancouver area.
Like Luc said, being Canadian means it's super-simple to do the cross-border relocation, but since I've narrowed my field to just the bike industry, it kind of narrows my eligable locations.
I love my hometown, Montreal, but I'm not sure if I could deal with the winters, Cali has spoiled me in that way.
I do miss the east coast though, I like Boston, if only because most of my best friends live there.
Still, the PNW is just soooo different than SoCal, in all the right reasons for me.
Someday maybe...

J@G

 

[kidwoo]

Originally posted by jackalope
Gotta give some props to the Asheville / Boone / Roanoke areas...Or basically the Tenn. / NC / VA borders in the Appalachians...

I miss pisgah. Asheville is the only place I could ever see myself moving on the east coast.

 

[Toshi]

Originally posted by narlus
ugly suburbs in MA? i live in one! :

[...]

portland is a totally great city, but it's a bit of a drive to get out towards bend. i only did xc rides the couple times i was out there, so i'm not sure what DH potential is there (do mt hood and bachelor run lifts in teh summer?) i've also never been there in the non-summer months (and having lived in dublin for a year now, i can say that it can get depressing not seeing the sun on a regular basis).

[...]

brian, SF/Bay area definitely has the social amenities i'd look for, but are there really any DH spots an hour away??? northstar is ~3 w/ no traffic, what else is there?

riding the amtrak from boston up towards maine is depressing. all these grey houses and sober, puritan-looking people. portland actually has some decent fr biking at hood river, which is only an hour away. mt hood does run in the summer but it's supposed to be a dustbowl.

and the bay area has good road biking at least... doesn't that count for something? heh

 

[Kntr]

Stay away from Montana. There are no mountains and no trails.

 

[Kntr]

No sheeet. I am still a little nervous from my ride the other day, when I saw 4 bears in one 10 mile ride. I have yet to see a Griz, though. Knock on some wood for me and say a little prayer. I now have bear spray. Just as long as I dont wreck and spray myself.

I am planning a 25-30 mile ride this summer accros the mountains. I read a review that it is the most grueling day trail ride in Montana. It was even in a few mags a few years back. A few XC riders have finished it in a day but I have heard it takes allllll day; start super early and end super late. It is pure Griz country on the edge of Glacier Park. Me and a buddy plan on doing it mid summer and taking enough supplies to stay over night if we have to.... I better take a camera and a lunch or 2 or 3.

 

[dump]

Originally posted by 360
well its not in north america but....

Edinburgh- Scotland

YES!

 

[dump]

Originally posted by narlus
SF/Bay area definitely has the social amenities i'd look for, but are there really any DH spots an hour away??? northstar is ~3 w/ no traffic, what else is there?

there are nice spots within 20-30 mins (pacifica for example is about 20 mins away... crack, boyscout, mile...) lots of fun.

luc can probably fill in the rest of the area's riding as i've only been to a few...

I've been to Pacifica for DH (20 mins from SF) Sandhill for 4x,DS (45 mins) , shells for djs 30mins... lots of street & of course there's xc as close as 15 mins. there's nice shuttleable runs in auburn/sac area (yeti can chime in)

i believe northstar is the closest lift accessed dh in the area... lots of guys from the area head up there regularly... but just as many stay local & shuttle/hike.

 

[HippieShredder]

Ok, this is a great post! I have been moving around doing the seasonal work thing (so that I can avoid a 9-5 desk job) since I graduated college. No, I don't make dick for money living this lifestyle, BUT, I love being able to go riding a hundred days a year in the summer months and go skiing a hundred days a year in the winter months! Plus, I get almost the entire months of May and October off because that's when the resorts are closed to transition into the next season. (Can you say..ROADTRIP!!!???) I have lived in all the towns I am about to comment on, this is not just hearsay.

Seattle(greater puget sound area): PROS- The people are very friendly and the place has a lot of character and culture. It's a large city but you can find small town appeal in certain neighborhoods like Woodenville and other outskirt towns. There is good XC riding all over the place within an hour drive. There is good skiing within an hour drive at Alpental, or GREAT skiing 3 hrs away at Baker or Crystal. All the mtns have affordable seasons passes. It's sunny and 75-85 degrees from late April until September

CONS-The skies are grey and it drizzles from October until early April. There is NO lift serviced DH riding.(since the bastids at snoqualmie closed their mtn. in the summer FU!) For DH you must drive 6hrs north to Whistler. (despite what some people have been posting, whistler is NOT a 4hr drive, I've done it at least two dozen times!) And, 6 hrs is assuming you dont get stuck at customs and searched, which happens more than people realize. Unlike living in a "ski town" everything really good is an hour drive away.(hiking/biking/skiing stuff) Population growth. The Seattle area is getting more and more populated, at a super fast rate. The woods are being destroyed and houses are going up everywhere, grand ridge and the redmond watershed area are good examples. But the worst thing about Seattle by far is....TRAFFIC!!! I will visit my friends in Seattle often, but I don't want to live there again.

Breckenridge(summit county in general): PROS-SUNSHINE, I think it's probably sunny 300 days a year here. Vibe, this town has every kind of nightlife you could possibly want from pool halls, dive bars, DJ spinning night clubs, cigar bars, sports bars, live shows, country line dancing(if your gay LOL) you name it this place has it. Convienience, summit county is home of copper, breck, keystone, a basin and vail.(actually vail is in eagle county, but it's less than an hour away) If you live in breck you can definately ski or ride singletrack during your lunch break. Affordable season passes. $299 for unlimited skiing/riding at breck/keystone/a-basin +10 days at vail! $259 for a season pass to copper/winterpark! All the ski areas here have really good terrain parks, bumps, open bowls, steeps and trees. Summertime DH lift service at Breck(kinda week but getting better) Vail(used to be good, getting worse) and KEYSTONE(keystone is sweet)

CONS: Summit county doesnt get a whole lot of snow in the winter. They have had a string of bad winters. If you want a month of powder days, this probably isnt the place. That's it for cons!

Salt Lake City: PROS-SNOW, it snows here more than anywhere else in north america with the exception of Alaska. If you are a big mountain skier who likes getting face shots all day, most days, you have to experience the cottonwood canyons! Frequently Sunny. Not sunny as frequently as Breck, but that's probably why it snows so much here. For mountain biking, there is a ton of stuff in every direction. You have to drive to access most of it, but its there. There is nightlife here, but it's not as good as other places due to the MOMO's. Moab is 2 hrs away. There is fairly descent DH lift serviced riding at most of the ski areas, but they all need work.

Cons: The MORMONS have really dragged this place down the crapper. Their fanatical belifes have negatively affected the quality of life for everyone in Utah, and damaged the environment. Utah hasnt caught on to the affordable lift ticket/season pass. In order to afford to ski/ride more than a few times a year at the resorts, you pretty much have to work at the mountain. Eyesores!, SLC, and utah in general is littered with working/abandoned mining plants and other environmentally hazardous industrial endeavors. Don't worry though, if we destroy this earth, the lord will provide us with another! LOL

Mammoth: PROS-Sunshine. Next to Breck, this is the sunniest place I have lived. SNOW, it freaking DUMPS here! And, after a storm, its BLUEBIRD. Biking, there is excellent XC riding everywhere. Plus the resort opens its lifts to world class DHing in the summer that gets better and better every year. Location, Mammoth is snuggled in the most beautiful terrain imaginable right at the doorstep to Yosemite national park.

Cons: Unless you are one of the lucky people who capitalize on the MVP pass that's available from March 28 to April 3rd every year, Mammoth does not have affordable season passes for skiing. So you have to work/volunteer for the mtn. Mammoth is probably the crappiest resort you can work at. They treat their employees like dog crap. The grooming/dress standards disqualify almost everyone I know or want to know. Mammoth is so close to Los Angelas, that on the wknds, 80% of the population are yuppie scumbags rolling their H2's in 4WD with chains on bare and dry pavementf with attitudes that match their driving skills. Most of these A$$holes are laughable, but they start to take their tole by the end of the season. the presence of these LA wasteoids is the only reason I didnt put nightlife in the pros. Midweek, nightlife is pretty good

Truckee(Northstar) I cant comment yet. I'm moving to Northstar this summer and plan to stay through the winter. I'm super stoked to experience what I hear is one of the better bikeparks around and ski squaw valley and the gnarly treeruns at northstar.

Based on my experiences so far, I would have to say Breck is the best all around town for somebody trying to downhill, XC, and ski/snowboard, live, work and party.

Hope everyone enjoyed reading my version of War and Peace!

 

[dfinn]

gnarly treeruns at northstar.

uh...you sure about that? Theres not too much gnarly about N* in the winter except the super pipe. You might want to look into Alpine Meadows.

 

[HippieShredder]

Originally posted by dfinn
uh...you sure about that? Theres not too much gnarly about N* in the winter except the super pipe. You might want to look into Alpine Meadows.

Yeah I'm sure about that...I went up to Northstar while I lived/worked in Mammoth, they have some of the best trees around. Endless, abundant and dont get ski'd out in twenty minutes like everywhere else. Northstar doesnt have any of the open bowls, chutes or steeps you find at squaw or mammoth, but they do have trees, and a good park. I can get my vertical fix at Squaw....

As for Alpine Meadows, I've heard of it, but don't know much about it. Where is it exactly, and what's it like?

 

[Jm_]

Originally posted by HippieShredder
Yeah I'm sure about that...I went up to Northstar while I lived/worked in Mammoth, they have some of the best trees around. Endless, abundant and dont get ski'd out in twenty minutes like everywhere else. Northstar doesnt have any of the open bowls, chutes or steeps you find at squaw or mammoth, but they do have trees, and a good park. I can get my vertical fix at Squaw....

As for Alpine Meadows, I've heard of it, but don't know much about it. Where is it exactly, and what's it like?

Alpine is directly south of squaw valley, they share some of the same "mountains" just different sides. Alpine is like a compact-version of Squaw or Kirkwood, good terrain, huge bowls, steeps, chutes, etc. Squaw gets crowded of course, so it can be a good reliever, squaw has everything, chutes, bowls, trees, etc...

My fav is kirkwood due to the mountain that just goes "straight up", great bowls and chutes, lots of little nooks and crannys, natural halfpipes, all around it's the best IMO but it takes the longest amount of time to get there, and they have mostly slow lifts, it's more of the "purists" mountain.

Flatstar...well, it has trees, but so do a lot of other places like sierra, squaw, heavenly, etc...it's great for DH mtb, but it leaves a lot to be desired for skiing, more family oriented, etc.

I raced on my high school ski team and know all of the tahoe resorts pretty well.

 

[intensified]

living in the midle of bostons finest suburbs isn't to bad,but my vote goes to san diego.

 

[kidwoo]

Originally posted by HippieShredder
Mammoth: PROS- Biking, there is excellent XC riding everywhere.

Wait, mammoth lakes california right?

I work down there a lot and have only found rock creek and that short descent from the old mining area that goes under mammoth rock. Everything else is pumice sand xc ski trails or the ski hill.

Tell me your secrets man!

 

[jmvar]

wow, I just checked back on this thread and it is great!!!!!! How many of you do the same thing that Hippieshredder does?

Hippie, thanks for the post man that was great!!!!!!

I have a feeling that my job will go mobile in the next year or two and I was just day dreaming about being able to work from anywhere I want.........of course I have to survive layoffs first which can come around unexpectidly at any time at a large company.

Do any of you work from home? Did you move after making the transition?

 

[HippieShredder]

Originally posted by intensified
living in the midle of bostons finest suburbs isn't to bad,but my vote goes to san diego.

That's cool, I'm in mass right now! My folks live here in Concord, so I end up spending some time here during the off seasons. There's a lot of really good MTbiking here, but the skiing leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion. Hey I'm here until the first week of June, we should go ride sometime. You headin down to Conn for that new freeride park's grand opening this wknd? Looks pretty sick. pm me if u wanna ride...